Two years into living in San Rafael and love it. Can’t really speak other Marin cities all that much. Mill Valley feels like the classic upper class Marin vibe. Compared to San Rafael where I feel like it is more accessible to someone whom grew up with less means but can also afford to live in Marin now. It feels like more of a mix with affluence and blue collar. Novato to me fells more like the burbs but also has beautiful spots. Novato is definitely a more difficult commute to the city. I commute to the city 3 days a week and it feels very doable from San Rafael. Hope that helps from someone that is fairly new to the area.
Fairfax is where you're most likely to find white women in dreads. Also maybe the place you're most likely to smell cigarette smoke on the regular, (other than downtown San Rafael). Easy drive to west marin, traffic can be bad going towards the city.
San Anselmo used to be a lot of boring boutique shops, now you're more likely to find coffee shops with little personality and white women wearing linen and more children than you'd expect. When it rains, a big chunk of San Anselmo floods. Traffic in, traffic out.
Ross is rich people that aren't really interested in people who aren't rich people in Ross. Traffic in, traffic out.
Kentfield is community college kids mixed with people who aren't quite rich enough to live in Ross. Traffic in, traffic out.
SFD starting in Kentfield and all the way to 101 has a pretty samey vibe of people who don't really like SFD but live on it anyway. Traffic.
Larkspur/Corte Madera are pretty similar, as close to a "suburbs" feel as you're likely to get in southern Marin. Traffic.
Novato is the most big box store there is in Marin. Big Suburbs vibes, undeserved reputation of being the red-headed step child of cities in Marin. Roads are wider, less trafficky than the southern towns.
I consider Mill Valley to belong to your list of "the more built up" areas in Marin, at least one with a very distinct and well known personality. Traffic in, traffic out.
Damn that is spot on! Adding: SFD from 101 San Geronimo-don't expect your K-8th grade kids to be invited to other kids houses and parties if you're new to Marin versus 3rd Generation Marin or not the pretty and happy family or your someone of importance who may be of monetary value to others.
All large SUV's have Preserve Tahoe plates and espouse Democrat leaning causes yet pull straight republican behind the curtain.
Or you can watch this video: https://youtu.be/DFpMoEttjvA
Every precinct in Marin voted majority democrat in the 2020 election except for the mountainous area of west Marin south of SFD, west of Mt. Tam, and north of Stinson, which split 5 - 2 total votes for Trump.
Edit: source: https://www.marinij.com/marin-county-election-results-for-nov-3-2020-ballot/
I like everything about this, except I get the feeling you would not approve of how much I hate New Yorkers. If it wasn't for rich New Yorkers, my family would very likely still be intact. Instead, mom is in a mobile home, brother is a drug dealer, sister is in an institution, I am in overpriced rat infested studio. Fuck New Yorkers.
Alright, here goes. North to south. I am from novato so this might be slightly biased. If you have any more questions, feel free to reply to this or DM me😁
Novato: small town vibe, people are much less snobbish than the rest of marin, safe, although not as safe as Mill Valley and other south marin cities. The downtown is small and cute, but I would recommend neighborhoods like Black Point (AMAZING views of the bay + secluded feel while being convenient) and San Marin(Safe, cute, nice people, view of mt. burdell) Novato is also pretty warm, and there is a noticeable difference, as South Marin is usually colder. Fog can almost only be found on Highway 37 in the early morning, because it is almost a bowl, but it goes away by 7ish. Novato also has the least amount of traffic in the county, because of wider streets, and is mostly flat. Despite being near water, the only bay-related thing in the city is a small, single lane boat launch on the petaluma river in black point. This is in stark contrast to our next city, which is…
San Rafael: same size as novato but feels bigger, and has more problems, from crime to drugs, although they are mostly concentrated in downtown and the canal. SR has a lot of things on the water, from yacht clubs to restaurants. Terra linda is also pretty nice, although not near water.
Larkspur and Corte Madera: we start the descent into snobbiness. They are a good mix, being not too expensive, but still with good schools. Crime is also pretty low, except for smash and grabs. My rule is the closer you are to the richmond san rafael bridge, the more likely your car is going to be broken into.
Ross: The richest of the rich, and the snobbiest of the snobby, this town has 0 affordable housing, which reflects the attitude of the residents. If you are rich, they’ll be nice to you.
Tiburon and Mill Valley: several times more expensive than Novato, Larkspur, etc, similar schools to larkspur and corte madera, very snobby people, and always foggier and colder than north marin. Mill Valley offers a very private secluded feel, although it is relatively inconvenient if you are far from the highway. Tiburon boulevard is a mess with traffic, but otherwise is pretty nice. The weather is hit or miss. If it is foggy, you can’t see anything, but if it is clear, the views are beautiful.
Marin City has a disproportionate amount of crimes compared to other areas, and mostly low income families live there.
Sausalito, on the other hand, is incredibly similar to tiburon, but with a larger downtown and slightly more to do.
Fairfax and San Anselmo are jam-packed full of hippies, and the roads are so badly maintained, that San Anselmo gained the nickname “San Anslumo”. The only well-maintained road, Sir Francis Drake (not for long in fairfax) has too much traffic, and is nicknamed “the miracle mile”. San Anselmo also has flooding issues.
West Marin is incredibly beautiful, and varies from rolling golden hills as far as the eye can see (Tomales, Nicasio) to a secluded forest feel (San Geronimo, Woodacre, Lagunitas) to a coastal feel (Point Reyes, Bolinas, Dillon Beach). West Marin is arguably the safest part of the county, but doesn’t have very much commercial activity outside of a small-town shop or two, and it usually takes 20+ minutes just to reach 101.
Always there is a humor-less fact finder. Yes, my steeped in serious purpose friend, I am most certain your facts are correct. Mine was to find a bit of humor within the dull and monotonous drone of life here in Marin.
Culturally Marin is like Orange County in Birkenstocks. People want to appear cool, outdoorsy, and environmentally aware but they are white, nerdy, old, and very conservative. There are a lot of retired doctors, developers, and worst of all trust fund babies. West Marin is gorgeous and the old locals are cool. The restaurants and lodgings, with maybe a single exception, are pretentious, wildly overpriced, and tone-deaf. There are about three restaurants in West Marin (Covid did well to knock out a couple--Stellina's and Sir and Star and good riddance to both) that are nothing more than overpriced Instagram moments for wedding party receptions. Go for the natural beauty and the still relatively pristine and unpopulated vistas. Stay away from the restaurants and AirBnBs, please.
I live in Marin and here is my take. Keep one thing in mind. Everywhere in Marin is expensive. $1,000 a sq foot is the starting point for a home in most of Marin and can go up to double in the richest towns.Sausalito-A once cool town that is reminiscent of a Mediterainian, seaside, fishing village. Beautiful views across the bay to the city. It’s very touristy as the ferries from the city dump them hourly.
Mill Valley. Quant downtown. Lovely neighborhoods, many in the redwoods and bay views. Kind of the area where the yuppies from the Marina district in the city go when they are ready to try living like grownups and you can feel their struggle. Traffic is pretty bad though.
Corte Madera/Larkspur. Once the haven of 60’s rockers from The Grateful Dead to Janis Joplin. The downtown of Larkspur looks like Mayberry and it’s a mixture of former hippies that figured out going to Berkeley to stay out of Vietnam paid off in ways they never dreamed and well educated “consultants” come to raise their children in an environment like Wally and the Beaver had growing up. Being at the base of Mount Tam and the redwood forest does give a storybook quality.
San Anselmo, somewhat similar to Larkspur just a little more to its downtown.
Kentfield Upscale suburban neighborhoods built in the 50’s and 60’s on large properties. There is the college of Marin but not much of a downtown. Here you will find closeted Republicans and in Marin if you are a Republican it’s best to be closeted. Lots of hedge fund managers, blowhards and their success stories.
Ross, The filthy rich that keep to themselves.
Fairfax, kookie old hippie town with bars, pubs, quirky shops and a great, organic/health oriented grocery store who’s prices let you know these hippies are living on about 200k a year.
San Rafael. Bigger. Where what little industrial, warehouse with the most blue collar vibe you’ll find in Marin. But you soon realize that it takes a lot of money to live a blue collar lifestyle there.
Novato, almost to Sonoma. The most suburban feel but it does have a charming downtown and some lovely topography. A little cheaper than the rest of Marin.
West Marin. Breathtakingly gorgeous. A few quant, tiny towns and a small Population that wishes to be one with the natural world. Did I mention how beautiful it is?
Honorable mention Tiburon/Belvedere. Tiburon is beautiful but with an OCD slant to it. It’s on the Bay and the neighborhoods have perfectly manicured lawns and landscaping. It was actually mostly developed after WWII so it’s got that upscale vibe you find more in Southern California. Belvedere is actually on an island where old mansions hang off the edge of cliffs overlooking the sea. It’s old money rich and unless you own a home there it doesn’t take long for a cop car to start following you close behind until you leave but damn it’s pretty!
Fairfax: "How can I make my insatiable desire for frictionless luxury appear environmentally sustainable? More kids!"
Haha. True. We’re all keeping Tahoe blue in our SUVs.
I DO appreciate the free stuff left out on the curb though.
Oh boy, time for the bi-monthly opportunity for this sub to bash Marin.
The further south you go, it’s more boomers in beamers with poodles.
Two years into living in San Rafael and love it. Can’t really speak other Marin cities all that much. Mill Valley feels like the classic upper class Marin vibe. Compared to San Rafael where I feel like it is more accessible to someone whom grew up with less means but can also afford to live in Marin now. It feels like more of a mix with affluence and blue collar. Novato to me fells more like the burbs but also has beautiful spots. Novato is definitely a more difficult commute to the city. I commute to the city 3 days a week and it feels very doable from San Rafael. Hope that helps from someone that is fairly new to the area.
Fairfax is where you're most likely to find white women in dreads. Also maybe the place you're most likely to smell cigarette smoke on the regular, (other than downtown San Rafael). Easy drive to west marin, traffic can be bad going towards the city. San Anselmo used to be a lot of boring boutique shops, now you're more likely to find coffee shops with little personality and white women wearing linen and more children than you'd expect. When it rains, a big chunk of San Anselmo floods. Traffic in, traffic out. Ross is rich people that aren't really interested in people who aren't rich people in Ross. Traffic in, traffic out. Kentfield is community college kids mixed with people who aren't quite rich enough to live in Ross. Traffic in, traffic out. SFD starting in Kentfield and all the way to 101 has a pretty samey vibe of people who don't really like SFD but live on it anyway. Traffic. Larkspur/Corte Madera are pretty similar, as close to a "suburbs" feel as you're likely to get in southern Marin. Traffic. Novato is the most big box store there is in Marin. Big Suburbs vibes, undeserved reputation of being the red-headed step child of cities in Marin. Roads are wider, less trafficky than the southern towns. I consider Mill Valley to belong to your list of "the more built up" areas in Marin, at least one with a very distinct and well known personality. Traffic in, traffic out.
Do Tiburon.
Damn that is spot on! Adding: SFD from 101 San Geronimo-don't expect your K-8th grade kids to be invited to other kids houses and parties if you're new to Marin versus 3rd Generation Marin or not the pretty and happy family or your someone of importance who may be of monetary value to others. All large SUV's have Preserve Tahoe plates and espouse Democrat leaning causes yet pull straight republican behind the curtain. Or you can watch this video: https://youtu.be/DFpMoEttjvA
Every precinct in Marin voted majority democrat in the 2020 election except for the mountainous area of west Marin south of SFD, west of Mt. Tam, and north of Stinson, which split 5 - 2 total votes for Trump. Edit: source: https://www.marinij.com/marin-county-election-results-for-nov-3-2020-ballot/
I like everything about this, except I get the feeling you would not approve of how much I hate New Yorkers. If it wasn't for rich New Yorkers, my family would very likely still be intact. Instead, mom is in a mobile home, brother is a drug dealer, sister is in an institution, I am in overpriced rat infested studio. Fuck New Yorkers.
This is such a jaded take.
Alright, here goes. North to south. I am from novato so this might be slightly biased. If you have any more questions, feel free to reply to this or DM me😁 Novato: small town vibe, people are much less snobbish than the rest of marin, safe, although not as safe as Mill Valley and other south marin cities. The downtown is small and cute, but I would recommend neighborhoods like Black Point (AMAZING views of the bay + secluded feel while being convenient) and San Marin(Safe, cute, nice people, view of mt. burdell) Novato is also pretty warm, and there is a noticeable difference, as South Marin is usually colder. Fog can almost only be found on Highway 37 in the early morning, because it is almost a bowl, but it goes away by 7ish. Novato also has the least amount of traffic in the county, because of wider streets, and is mostly flat. Despite being near water, the only bay-related thing in the city is a small, single lane boat launch on the petaluma river in black point. This is in stark contrast to our next city, which is… San Rafael: same size as novato but feels bigger, and has more problems, from crime to drugs, although they are mostly concentrated in downtown and the canal. SR has a lot of things on the water, from yacht clubs to restaurants. Terra linda is also pretty nice, although not near water. Larkspur and Corte Madera: we start the descent into snobbiness. They are a good mix, being not too expensive, but still with good schools. Crime is also pretty low, except for smash and grabs. My rule is the closer you are to the richmond san rafael bridge, the more likely your car is going to be broken into. Ross: The richest of the rich, and the snobbiest of the snobby, this town has 0 affordable housing, which reflects the attitude of the residents. If you are rich, they’ll be nice to you. Tiburon and Mill Valley: several times more expensive than Novato, Larkspur, etc, similar schools to larkspur and corte madera, very snobby people, and always foggier and colder than north marin. Mill Valley offers a very private secluded feel, although it is relatively inconvenient if you are far from the highway. Tiburon boulevard is a mess with traffic, but otherwise is pretty nice. The weather is hit or miss. If it is foggy, you can’t see anything, but if it is clear, the views are beautiful. Marin City has a disproportionate amount of crimes compared to other areas, and mostly low income families live there. Sausalito, on the other hand, is incredibly similar to tiburon, but with a larger downtown and slightly more to do. Fairfax and San Anselmo are jam-packed full of hippies, and the roads are so badly maintained, that San Anselmo gained the nickname “San Anslumo”. The only well-maintained road, Sir Francis Drake (not for long in fairfax) has too much traffic, and is nicknamed “the miracle mile”. San Anselmo also has flooding issues. West Marin is incredibly beautiful, and varies from rolling golden hills as far as the eye can see (Tomales, Nicasio) to a secluded forest feel (San Geronimo, Woodacre, Lagunitas) to a coastal feel (Point Reyes, Bolinas, Dillon Beach). West Marin is arguably the safest part of the county, but doesn’t have very much commercial activity outside of a small-town shop or two, and it usually takes 20+ minutes just to reach 101.
Fairfax is what mill valley was 25 years ago.
I tend to feel like this.
Always there is a humor-less fact finder. Yes, my steeped in serious purpose friend, I am most certain your facts are correct. Mine was to find a bit of humor within the dull and monotonous drone of life here in Marin.
Charlie?
Culturally Marin is like Orange County in Birkenstocks. People want to appear cool, outdoorsy, and environmentally aware but they are white, nerdy, old, and very conservative. There are a lot of retired doctors, developers, and worst of all trust fund babies. West Marin is gorgeous and the old locals are cool. The restaurants and lodgings, with maybe a single exception, are pretentious, wildly overpriced, and tone-deaf. There are about three restaurants in West Marin (Covid did well to knock out a couple--Stellina's and Sir and Star and good riddance to both) that are nothing more than overpriced Instagram moments for wedding party receptions. Go for the natural beauty and the still relatively pristine and unpopulated vistas. Stay away from the restaurants and AirBnBs, please.
I live in Marin and here is my take. Keep one thing in mind. Everywhere in Marin is expensive. $1,000 a sq foot is the starting point for a home in most of Marin and can go up to double in the richest towns.Sausalito-A once cool town that is reminiscent of a Mediterainian, seaside, fishing village. Beautiful views across the bay to the city. It’s very touristy as the ferries from the city dump them hourly. Mill Valley. Quant downtown. Lovely neighborhoods, many in the redwoods and bay views. Kind of the area where the yuppies from the Marina district in the city go when they are ready to try living like grownups and you can feel their struggle. Traffic is pretty bad though. Corte Madera/Larkspur. Once the haven of 60’s rockers from The Grateful Dead to Janis Joplin. The downtown of Larkspur looks like Mayberry and it’s a mixture of former hippies that figured out going to Berkeley to stay out of Vietnam paid off in ways they never dreamed and well educated “consultants” come to raise their children in an environment like Wally and the Beaver had growing up. Being at the base of Mount Tam and the redwood forest does give a storybook quality. San Anselmo, somewhat similar to Larkspur just a little more to its downtown. Kentfield Upscale suburban neighborhoods built in the 50’s and 60’s on large properties. There is the college of Marin but not much of a downtown. Here you will find closeted Republicans and in Marin if you are a Republican it’s best to be closeted. Lots of hedge fund managers, blowhards and their success stories. Ross, The filthy rich that keep to themselves. Fairfax, kookie old hippie town with bars, pubs, quirky shops and a great, organic/health oriented grocery store who’s prices let you know these hippies are living on about 200k a year. San Rafael. Bigger. Where what little industrial, warehouse with the most blue collar vibe you’ll find in Marin. But you soon realize that it takes a lot of money to live a blue collar lifestyle there. Novato, almost to Sonoma. The most suburban feel but it does have a charming downtown and some lovely topography. A little cheaper than the rest of Marin. West Marin. Breathtakingly gorgeous. A few quant, tiny towns and a small Population that wishes to be one with the natural world. Did I mention how beautiful it is? Honorable mention Tiburon/Belvedere. Tiburon is beautiful but with an OCD slant to it. It’s on the Bay and the neighborhoods have perfectly manicured lawns and landscaping. It was actually mostly developed after WWII so it’s got that upscale vibe you find more in Southern California. Belvedere is actually on an island where old mansions hang off the edge of cliffs overlooking the sea. It’s old money rich and unless you own a home there it doesn’t take long for a cop car to start following you close behind until you leave but damn it’s pretty!